FATE - The Legends Of Elements

Wither Into the Truth

Alfea in war preparation mode: it was the day Silva, Dowling, and Harvey convened a full training day for the fairies and specialists, focusing on the imminent threat of the Burned Ones. Throughout Alfea, there was only one person who didn't care about it and therefore avoided the day.

"What part of daily training didn't you understand?" Saul asked angrily as he entered the chaotic room of the 12-year-old.

Simon briefly looked up from his Nintendo Switch. "Homeschooling, homework, and studying," he listed. "I don't have time for daily training. You do want me to get a diploma one day, don't you?"

"And what exactly are you learning right now?"

"Logical thinking," he shrugged. "Very helpful for mathematics."

Saul looked at him incredulously. The boy preferred playing games rather than preparing for the Burned Ones. Yet time was ticking for the boy to develop into a talented specialist; otherwise, he would hardly stand a chance of being admitted to Alfea in 4 years.

"Funny," Saul concluded. "Mrs. Franklin told me you excel in spiritual absence."

Mrs. Franklin, the librarian of Alfea, had been teaching Simon's homeschooling since the beginning of the school year, after the boy managed to get permanently expelled from school—an unfortunate chain of events that led to his expulsion. Considering the Burned Ones sighted beyond the barrier, Saul and Farah didn't find it particularly tragic. They wouldn't have let Simon walk to school alone anyway. Therefore, they didn't bother enrolling him in a new school.

"I'm not really interested in the topic," he shrugged. His gaze remained stubbornly fixed on the screen.

Saul reached for the gaming console, snatched it from his son's hand. Simon shot his father a dark look, jumped up from his seat, and tried to get the console back. "That's my game!" he exclaimed, "Give it back to me!"

"No. Enough is enough. You can't spend the whole day glued to this thing!"

"You're such an asshole! I don't even want to become a specialist! Why can't you get that?"

Saul stood patiently in front of his son, waiting for the boy to finish his list of accusations before he could finally speak again. "One hour of playtime if you train with me for two hours every day," he said, pocketing the gaming console while pointing a threatening finger at his son, "And never insult me again! You owe me respect; I'm still your father!"

"I hate you!" Simon concluded, his gaze shifting to the floor. He couldn't bear his father's serious and possibly angry expression. A feeling of despair and anger overwhelmed him. Why couldn't Saul just let him live his life the way he wanted? Why did he have to meet his father's high expectations? Why did he have to become a specialist?

"Hate me as much as you want, Simon. I'm not doing this to punish you," Saul explained calmly, "I'm only doing this because I love you and want you to be safe," pausing briefly, "You know, every summer break, I travel through the realms, looking for talented specialists, but only a few chosen ones get the chance to be taught here at Alfea. It's an honor to be an Alfea student, and I bet your former classmates would do anything to be accepted to Alfea—which, in turn, is only possible if they train hard and convince me or Farah. You still have time to become a good specialist, but you have to start training for it."

Simon looked up, glaring angrily at his father. "I. Won't. Do. It," he made it clear one last time.

"Okay," Saul accepted the response, "No TV, no video games—you won't touch anything electronic anymore."

"Okay," said Simon. Saul sighed heavily as he saw his son's stubborn attitude. He had hoped Simon would be reasonable, but it seemed the boy would continue to resist training. Saul turned to leave before turning back once more, "All I want is for you to have the best chance of surviving in this world."